"This is My Body"

"The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you." (1 Corinthians 11:23)

"Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him." (John 13:4)

"So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him...He said, 'I am thirsty'...and 'it is finished.' When the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out." (John 18 and 19)

"Suddenly Jesus met Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Looking over these readings that come from our worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and our Easter celebration, what stands out to me is just how physical and tangible they are. Jesus is so fully incarnate, so fully God-in-the-flesh, and his Incarnation doesn't stop with death; human flesh is sanctified before resurrection just as much as it is made holy after his resurrection.

In his last hours among us, Jesus gave his followers physical actions to do to remember him by: to taste bread and wine, to chew and swallow, to pass plates and cups around a table, in love and and maybe even laughter when fingers touched when two grabbed for the same cup at the same time. This is my body.

And this physical body of Jesus, it knelt to honor the flesh of his disciples, it knelt in worship of the imago dei (image of God) we each bear, Jesus's physical knees touched the hard stone floor and his roughened hands gently caressed the callouses of his disciples feet as he pour warm, scented water over those tired toes, massaged their soles with tender love. This is my body, loving your body.

And this body knew pain and suffering, torture and death. And Jesus's broken body also knew that these things are not the worst that can happen to flesh, are not the end of the imago dei. Because even in his death, there was so much love: in every gospel account, some follower of his claimed his body, gently touched and washed away the dried blood with their own roughened hands, massaged in oils and myrrh with tender love. This is my body, loving Christ's body.

And on that miraculous morning, when darkness and death were overcome by light and life and love, the risen Christ meets his followers, meets Mary Magdalene, in the flesh. Magdalene hugs and holds, cries tears of confusion and love, kneels at the fleshy feet of our Lord, those feet that had been anointed with perfumed oil only days before. This is my body, given for you.

Throughout the mystery of Holy Week and the greater mystery of the Resurrection one thing is clear: Christ's body is present through it all - human flesh is made holy with every action. And it doesn't stop there: As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Cor 12:27)

This is my body: WE are the body.

Let us celebrate with joy the miracle of Christ made alive in each of us.

Blessings,

Rev Jill